


Compassion

by whitedandelions



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Fix-It of Sorts, Happy Ending, M/M, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-24 10:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17098892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedandelions/pseuds/whitedandelions
Summary: Gren knows he should leave the moonshadow elf to rot in prison, but he can't.  So when he's given the opportunity to escape, he takes the elf with him.





	Compassion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lorax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorax/gifts).



> happy yuletide! :D

It’s a long shot. 

Normally, Runaan would never trust a human.  But desperate times called for desperate measures, and here he is, trying to make nice with a _human_.

He doesn’t even know what the human looks like.  For all he knows, he can be consorting with someone that’s _killed_ moonshadow elves before, and judging by his stories, he probably did.  But the pickings are slim and if the human can help him escape, well.

In the beginning, he had been ready to die.  Wanted it, even.  But then as the days passed, and the band that symbolized the King’s son was still alive never fell off, he realizes he’ll have to be the one to finish the job.  He wanted to believe in Rayla, but perhaps he was wrong to do so.  But if he’s being honest with himself, he’s more worried about Rayla than he is Ezran’s death, and he worries that she’ll need his help wherever she is.

It helps that the other prisoner is a talkative one.  He doesn’t even seem to need to breathe to talk with the endless ramblings.  And at first, Runaan had just tuned him out, but there’s nothing else to do in the cell but stare into darkness, and his stories started to interest him.

The other prisoner has clout, he just doesn’t know how to _use_ it.

And Runaan is more than willing to teach him if it means they can escape.

* * *

His door opens.

He closes his eyes at the light that shines in, turns his head away from it as footsteps sound through the darkened room.  He wants to taunt the human, but it never turns out well whenever he does.  He has the bruises and the scars to prove it.

But it’s not him.

“Runaan,” says the other human, and when he opens his eyes, he sees someone he’s never seen before.  But he recognizes the voice.  The other prisoner.  He’s all freckles and red hair, and if Runaan met him in another time, he’s sure he’ll compare the human to a sun elf.

“Surprised?” he asks, and the human frowns at him.  There’s no sign of him being talkative, now, no sign of the friendliness he heard in that voice his whole time down in the dungeons, but he’s still a welcome sight.  He’s not sneering or taunting him, and even though Runaan hates humans, he thinks this at least will be a comfort if he dies today.

“Of course not,” says the human, and then he sighs, kneeling so he can look Runaan directly in the eyes.  “Viren wasn’t very quiet when he tortured you; I’ve known you were an elf this whole time.  Just as you knew I was a human.”

He sounds somber.  Runaan almost wants to go back in time to avoid this from occurring, even _if_ they can somehow escape.

“Then why are you saving me?” he asks, and the human frowns at him.

“I can’t leave you here,” he admits, finally, and he leans forward to tug uselessly at the manacles still holding him upright.  He’s stronger than Runaan expected; there’s muscles underneath his armor, and he thinks they can do this.  The manacles are flimsy, not strong enough to hold an elf in, and it’s only thanks to his weakened state from food deprivation _and_ torture that he can’t escape himself.  The next time the human tugs, Runaan joins him, and the manacles break free from the wall.  It makes a loud noise though, but thankfully, it’s in the middle of the night and the guards are still sound asleep. 

He tries to stand after they get his other hand free, but all he accomplishes is falling forward.  The human catches him, and his armor is hard, but it’s enough for him to get his footing. 

“You’re stupid for saving me, human,” he can’t help saying as the human helps him out of the cell and is surprised when he gets only a grunt as a reply.

* * *

Somehow, they make it outside without being questioned.  There’s a backpack waiting for them in a niche the human leads them to, and the human reaches in and pulls out a cloak for Runaan to wear.  When he asks, the human tells him it’s thanks to his accomplice.

“He risked a lot helping us,” says the human, frowning, but doesn’t say anything more on the matter.  He’s remarkably tight-lipped _now_ when he was anything but in the prison, but Runaan isn’t too surprised.  It must be different for him now, when he’s looking at Runaan directly.  There’s no way to pretend that he isn’t a moonshadow elf, not with his horns and hair and tattoos.

“We’ll have to lay low for a while,” the human says, “Until you’re healed at the very least.”

“They’ll be looking for us,” he says, because he’s sure their escape will be found out in the morning.  He knows his torturer will go to the ends of the earth to find him to avenge his King.

The human gives him an unimpressed look and leads them into the forest.

They find a place to camp, hidden away by trees, and Runaan is reluctantly impressed.  He knows his torturer has magic, but there’s magic in these trees. He remembers from the time he had camped here when they were planning to assassinate the King.

The stars are bright in the night sky when they’re finally laying down, and Runaan almost can’t believe that his plan actually worked.  That this isn’t just a dream, and that’s he’s actually outside in the night air and not still trapped in a dark and dreary dungeon.

He almost doesn’t want to sleep, even though he knows he _should_.  He turns his head to look at the human laying next to him, and he’s not asleep either. 

“Why did you save me, human?” slips out before he can stop himself, and the human turns to face him.

Under the moonlight, his blue eyes are piercing.  They’re set in a friendly face, and even now, when the human is studying him, it’s clear to him that the human next to him has kindness in his bones.  He heard it in his stories, in his laughter and now he sees it in his actions. 

Runaan hadn’t expected this, hadn’t ever met anyone like this human.  The moonshadow elves aren’t _friendly;_ they’re a hardened bunch, changed by the humans’ destruction of absolutely everything that mattered to them.

And he wants to think the human is weak for being like this.  But he can’t think that, not when he remembers how the human had saved him even when he hadn’t had to, not when the human had pulled those manacles out of the wall with him.

“Were you not listening all this time?” the human finally speaks, and apparently this is what’s going to do it, because gone is the piercing blue eyes and instead there’s only fond exasperation on the human’s face.  “Do you even know my name?”

He doesn’t reply, because he can’t admit he hadn’t listened the first time the human had introduced himself.  It’s not his fault; he had been planning to waste away there and listening to a _human_ hadn’t been his top priority.

“Figures,” says the human, but he doesn’t sound too angry.  “Save the elf and the guy doesn’t even remember my _name_.”

“Sorry?” he finally tries, and the human stares and then actually smiles.

“It’s Gren,” he says, “And I saved you because I’m going to need your help.  Viren’s up to something and everyone’s going to believe me if I show up with a tortured elf in tow.”

“Then I’m your bargaining chip?”

“Yep,” Gren says cheerfully, and then looks at him.  “Well, and I wasn’t lying back there.  I saved you because I couldn’t leave you.  Listening to a man’s screams every night softens you to a man.”

He blinks because he can take that last line completely the wrong way, and he doesn’t know if he wants to point it out or not.  Humans are sensitive to those kinds of things, and Runaan doesn’t want to embarrass the other human.

But Gren’s still looking at him with an expectant look, so he does, and he marvels at how the red even reaches the human’s ears. 

* * *

Gren makes a good travel companion.  After that night, he seems to be more like himself, and he talks to fill the silence.  Runaan doesn't mind, not as much as he did before, because sometimes it's nice to listen to the stories Gren tells.  He learns a lot about the crown prince that way, and wonders when is the right time to tell Gren that the band on his forearm means he has to kill Ezran or lose an arm.

He tries, but every time he opens his mouth, it dies on his tongue.  Runaan is a trained assassin, he thought he buried his feelings a long time ago and he really shouldn't care about Gren.  Though he supposes if he  _does_ tell Gren the truth, Gren might decide to to alert the authorities and  _that_ is going to end up extremely disastrous for him because he still hasn't healed.  

Despite his injuries, they make good time.  And thanks to a stroke of good luck, Runaan learns that the general Gren is looking for is tracking the crown prince, so their goals align.  Though of course, Gren doesn't know he's leading Runaan exactly where he wants to go.  Gren seems to be under the impression that Runaan doesn't have  _any_ ulterior motives, believing that Runaan is tagging along simply because he has nowhere else to go.

And Runaan is a trained assassin, this is something he's done so many times before.  But for some reason, he feels guilt at deceiving Gren, enough so that he changes the subject whenever Gren asks about his past.  He wonders if Gren would ever figure out that he was the one that killed the King, but decides it's better not to bring it up.  It's not safe to be alone right now, especially as an elf.  Gren goes into towns they pass by for supplies, and Runaan doesn't protest when Gren asks him to wait outside.

Traveling with Gren is easy.  Gren talks and fills up any silences they have, and when Runaan decides not to answer a question, Gren just changes the subject with an easy smile.  

They do run into some obstacles, but they're all easily bypassed since Gren has been trained into the military and well, Runaan  _is_ an assassin, even if his wounds are still bothering him.  They make a good team, Gren covering his back and vice versa, and Runaan starts to dread the day they find the crown prince.

But this is his mission, and Runaan's never failed a mission before.

* * *

The general finds them on the outskirts of a town, and she doesn't move for a long moment as Gren talks her ear off.  

Then she draws her sword.  Gren tries to stop her, and Runaan goes to run but there's footsteps behind them, and then he's grabbed before the general even gets to him.

He doesn't see Gren again, and when he wakes, it's to the cold sight of the prison walls.

* * *

"Honestly," Gren's voice wakes him days later, and he's shaking as he goes to insert a key into Runaan's manacles.  It comes away, and there's the sweet relief of putting his arms down.  

He looks up at Gren, lost for a second in the way the flickering light of the prison lamps play on Gren's red hair, and waits.

Gren shrugs his shoulders, "Wasn't going to let you rot away now, especially when I saved you back then."

He stands, gingerly, and finds his footing when Gren snakes an arm around his waist and supports him.  The wounds don't hurt as much as they used to, and when Gren lets him go, he's able to stay standing.

"Thank you," he says, and Gren nods, and he looks wistful.

"I can't come with you," he says, and although it strangely hurts, Runaan just nods because he's been expecting this.  Gren's quest was to find the general, and he's found her.  He doesn't need Runaan anymore.

But he  _does_.  He's used to traveling alone; he's done it so many times before that it's normal for him.  But now that he's experienced traveling with a friend, it's...nice.  Nice not to scavange for supplies in an obviously hostile territory, nice to have someone watching his back, and it's  _nice_ to have someone to talk to when the moon rises in the night sky.

It must show on his face, because Gren bites his lip.

"I can't," he says, and he sounds a little bit distraught.  "General Amaya gave me the key; I can't betray her by not coming back."

That gives him pause and he purses his lips.  "Why?"

"Well," says Gren, "General Amaya is a good person."

"No," he says, "Why are you so insistent on saving me?  I'm not a good person."

This time, there's fire in Gren's eyes when Runaan meets them.  "You are," he says, and takes a breath as if he's about to argue it even further.

He interrupts him.  "I killed the king."

All the air seems to leave Gren at that instant, and he sighs.  "I know, of course I do.  I'm not stupid."

"Then how can I be good?"

"You were doing your duty," says Gren, and this time his voice is soft.  "Look, of course I'm mad that you killed King Harrow, he's a good man.  But if I had orders to kill your Queen, I would do the same.  I can't hold it against you."

He doesn't say anything for a long time.  Gren's eyes are shining, and Runaan's never had someone believe so intensely in him before.  It makes him uncomfortable, because Gren's a  _human_ and they're enemies.  But they're not, are they?  Gren saved him when he didn't have to, and Runaan's had so many opportunities to take Gren out while they were traveling.

They spent weeks by each other's side, and surprisingly, Runaan actually doesn't hate Gren.  He might even - 

That thought scares him, because he's an elf.  He's not a good person, and Gren's deluded for thinking so.

Gren's still looking at him as if he hung the stars, and that's enough for him to make his decision.

"You should," he says quietly, and rushes Gren.  Gren's not expecting it, his mouth dropping with surprise, and he's able to disarm Gren and knock him out with the back of his own sword in the manner of seconds.  He holds Gren before he can fall, and when he escapes, he tells himself he's doing the right thing.

* * *

His arm's hurting.

The band is getting tighter with each passing day, and he's having trouble fighting with just one hand.  His supplies are running low, and he doesn't know how much longer he can keep going before they're all gone.  He doesn't want to go into town now; if a human discovers him, it might truly be the end for him.

He almost wants to give up the quest; he's already killed Gren's King, he doesn't want to kill his crown prince too.  But if he wants to keep his arm, this is what he has to do.

Luckily for him,  _they_ find him the very next day.  He must've been more tired than he thought, because when he wakes, Rayla's eyes are staring at him.

His hands are tied, and he has a second to be proud of Rayla getting one up on him before he realizes she shouldn't be here.  

"Your hand?" he asks before she can ask anything, and her face changes.  

"Does it hurt?" she asks, instead of answering him, and he lets out a cry of pain when she reaches out and touches the band.  The skin underneath is turning dark, and Rayla stands and leaves him there.

When she comes back, there's a dragon in her arms.  When she puts the dragon down, the prince sniffs Runaan before gingerly reaching up and biting the band off.

Color returns to his arm almost immediately, and he lets out a sob of pure relief as feeling returns.  The dragon seems to think this means he's a good person, because he all but curls up in his lap, falling fast asleep, purring his contentment to the world.

"He hatched?" he asks, in wonder, and he wishes his hands weren't tied so he could pat their prince.

"Yes," says Rayla, strangely hesitant, and then she crouches and while keeping her eyes on the dragon, she tells him everything.  About how the crown prince and his brother aren't all bad, how they've journeyed together this far with the intention of returning the egg to the Dragon Queen to bring peace to their nations.  

When she finishes, her hands are shaking when he looks at them, and he knows he has a choice here.  Before everything that's happened, he had been too rough on Rayla and he knows it.  He's her father in all ways but blood, and he knows he can hurt her if he condemns what she's done.

And before Gren saved his life, twice, he might have raised her voice at her.  But now that he's known that all humans aren't bad, it's easier to swallow down the bile that would've left his throat before.  The humans hadn't destroyed their prince, and the crown prince is working to bring their nations to peace.

It's not a bad thing she's done, and when he lets her know it, she throws her arms around his neck and cries.

* * *

The other humans don't trust him.

Except for the crown prince.

Ezran walks next to him when the others don't, and when there's treacherous river they have to pass, Ezran looks up at him and Runaan moves before he knows what he's doing.  He puts Ezran on his shoulders, like he's done for Rayla so many times, and wades across the river.

When he puts him down on the other side, Rayla beams at him and Callum looks thoughtful.

* * *

At night, Soren joins him for watch.

Runaan remembers his sister and him, remembers the way Claudia had sealed his fate in more ways than one.

But Soren's not his father, and for a good portion of their watch, they sit in silence.

Near the end of their watch, Soren asks, "Is Gren okay?"

He turns and stares, because he hadn't thought they knew each other, but Soren looks as if he's expecting his confusion because he continues.

"General Amaya visited a lot, and Gren came with her.  It wasn't right what Da-what  _he_ did, and I'm..." he looks lost for a second before shaking his head.  "I helped him escape, and I'm guessing he helped  _you_."

"Yes," he says, and Soren nods as if expecting it.  "He's with General Amaya," he says before he can second guess himself, and Soren brightens.

"Thank you," he says, and they fall into silence once more. 

When their time is up, and Callum and Claudia replace them, Soren says, "You know, you're all right for an elf."

And Runaan would be normally be offended, but for some reason, the words only make him smile.

* * *

When they finally make it to Xadia, they're granted an audience with the Queen thanks to Runaan and Rayla.  They give the humans cloaks, and when they're inside the throne room, the Queen notices almost immediately.

Before she can call her guards however, Zym pops out of Ezran's hold. 

There's a silence so profound as Zym makes his way over to his mother, and when they finally reunite, the scene is touching enough that Runaan has to turn away.

* * *

"You can come, you know," says Rayla months later, and she's dressed in fine clothing fit for a diplomat of Xadia.  

After Zym's been returned, Ezran and the Dragon Queen worked out a treaty.

Viren had been ousted by General Amaya as reported by Claudia, and Ezran's word as crown prince held enough weight for the treaty to be held.

And now, months later, it seems as if Rayla and the princes' plan had actually  _worked_ ; their nations are finally at peace.

"I'm not a diplomat," he says, "And I'm not sure if anyone wants to see me over there."

"Ezran loves you," says Rayla, and he purses his lips.

"Ezran loves everyone," he retorts, and she pauses before laughing.  When she stops, she looks at him as if she knows something he doesn't.

"There's someone else who would love to see you," she says, and he wonders just how close she's gotten to Claudia that she's found out about Gren.

"I'm not going," he says instead of asking  _how_ she knows, and Rayla sighs and nods.  He thinks that's the end of it, until he's summoned to the Dragon Queen's quarters and basically ordered to accompany Rayla.

When he sees her next, she looks smug and he doesn't hesitate in reaching out and ruining her perfectly crafted hairstyle.

* * *

When they arrive, Runaan's on edge.

He doesn't even  _know_ if Gren wants to see him; the last time they saw each other, he knocked the human out and left him on a prison floor.  If Runaan was in Gren's shoes, he would certainly not when to see him either.

But Gren's nowhere to be found despite General Amaya watching in the background when Rayla comes to greet Ezran in the throne room.  She's all polite and cordial until Ezran orders the guards to leave them and then she's picking Ezran around and spinning him in the air in obvious delight.

He slips out as they start to chatter, and when he walks the long hallways, he stops because he catches sight of Gren's red hair.  It's so brilliant, especially in the bright sun, and he stares as Gren leads his troops through a drill.  He looks vibrant, a far cry from the time Runaan knew him, and his heart pangs at the sight. 

He turns before he can lose himself there, and makes his way back to the quarters they've been given.

* * *

There's a knock on the door.

Rayla wouldn't knock; in fact, Rayla wouldn't even be using the door to enter, not when there's a perfectly good window to enter from.

When he opens it, Gren is waiting on the other side.

"Hi," says Gren, smiling, and Runaan loses his voice.  "Can I come in?" and then falters when Runaan still can't answer him.  "Or is that not okay?"

"Aren't you angry at me?" he asks, and Gren's eyebrows furrow.  His freckles are so stark compared to his pale skin and Runaan can't stop staring.

"No," he says, and then gasps.  "Are you talking about when we last saw each other?"

"Yes," he says, and Gren all but laughs at him.

"Of course not," he says, and when Runaan doesn't move, Gren sticks his hand out.  "Let's start over, okay?  My name's Gren.  And you?"

He knows he should take Gren's hand.  The longer he doesn't, the more awkward it becomes.  But the thing is - Runaan doesn't want to start over.  The time they spent together traveling has become precious to him in a way nothing else is, and he doesn't know how to say it without making things difficult.  Because what if to Gren, it was a means to the end?  Just a way to ensure he got back to his precious general.

But Runaan isn't a coward, and he shakes his head.  Gren's face falls, and Runaan takes Gren's hand before he can pull away.  "I don't want to start over," he says, and Gren's mouth drops in shock.

"What?" Gren says, sounding confused, and Runaan grips Gren's hand tighter.

"Thank you for saving me," he says, "Twice."

"You're welcome," says Gren, automatically, and then looks up at Runaan with wide eyes.  "Anyone else would've done the same."

"No," he says, but doesn't argue the point.  They're still holding hands, and Gren still hasn't made any moves to pull away.  He steels his courage, and then asks, "Come in?" 

He thinks for a second that Gren would say no, but Gren smiles, and follows him in.

* * *

Gren's still there in the morning, and when he tries to leave the bed for morning training, Runaan easily pulls him back down and Gren doesn't fight him.

The thing is, it's a miracle they've even made it this far.  That they've fallen in love despite being on the opposite sides of a brewing war, that they made it out  _twice_ when Runaan's been held prisoner, that somehow, despite being an elf and a human, they make sense together.

Runaan's not about to let Gren go for something as silly as training, and he thinks General Amaya owes them one for throwing him into prison.

Besides, they're at peace, and he thinks Gren and him are allowed some time to slack off and to finally get to know each other properly.


End file.
